Improvement in fences



B. BURTCHETT.

FENCE. No. 179,644. Patented July 11, 1876.

' o I i BIN? o /'iz" UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN BURTOHETT, OF ST. JOSEPH, MISSOURI.

IMPROVEMENT IN FENCES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 179,644, dated July 11, 1876;' application filed July 6, 1875.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, BENJAMIN BURTOHETT, of St. Joseph, in the county of Buchanan, and State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Fences, of which the following is a description sutiiciently full, clear, and exact to enable any person skilled in the art or science to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification.

. My invention relates to that class of fences constructed in sections adapted to be connected to each other; and my invention consists in constructing the sections as shown in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure l is a perspective view, showing the improved fence supported by braces; Fig. 2, a perspective view, showing the sections arranged to support each other; Fig. 3, a plan view of one of the sections; and Fig. 4, a sectional plan.

Each section A B of the fence consists of parallel bars a a, to which, at one side, are secured uprights G n, and at the opposite side uprights c m, the upright G being near the center, and the inner edge of the upright n being nearly on a line with the outer edge of the upright 0. The bars a are secured at their opposite ends to the uprights n m,- but the bars a are secured each at one end to the upright 0, the other end projecting beyond the upright m, Figs. 3 and at, and having on the opposite sides stops E e. Filling-pieces w .r are secured to the uprights c it, immediately above the upper bar a and below the lower bar to, Figs. 1 and 2, so that when the projecting ends of the bars a are introduced between the uprights n c, as shown in Fig. 1, the tilling pieces will prevent one section of-the fence from being raised or depressed independently'of the other. When the sections are thus adjusted, the stops 0 are maintained against the inner edge of the adjacent upright n by bars D of a brace, O, which bars project into the spaces between the stops E and the adjacent upright m, as shown in Fig. 1. The

upper edges of the bars a fit notches in the bars D of the brace, which supports the fence in its upright position.

When it is desired to erect the fence so that one section shall supportthe other, the sections are adjusted at an angle, and the projecting ends of the bars a of one section are passed between the uprights c n of the adjacent section, and a key or wedge, I, is forced between the inner edges of the stops 6 and the inner edge of the upright a, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, thus bringing the upright m against the upright c, and binding the whole firmly together.

it will be seen that, by the construction adopted, the notching, and consequent weakening, of the rails is avoided, the rails of one section are on a line with those of the other, and the fence is capable of being erected at will, either with the sections in a line, or at an angle supporting each.

I claim- 1. The combination, in a fence, ot' the rails a, secured at their ends to the uprights n m, the parallel rails a projecting beyond the uprightm, secured at their opposite ends to the upright c, and the stops 6 E, arranged upon the projecting ends ofthe rails a, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the uprights c m n, rails a, secured to the uprights m 'n, rails a, secured to uprights c m, and projecting beyond the latter and furnished with stops, and the filling-pieces 00, arranged as set forth.

BENJAMIN BURTOHETT. [L.

W itncsses:

W. H. CAMPBELL, O. H. SWEENY. 

